It's early morning following the arrival of the odd group to the Lightfoot estate. The evening Layth spent with the two Lapi girls proved uneventful; they slept through the night, allowing Layth to also sleep through the night. Tasha too had an uneventful evening once she returned to the Lightfoot estate. The sun isn't up yet, but there is someone moving in the open plaza that is visible from where Tasha is currently laying in bed, where she had some problems sleeping for any extended period of time. Finally she had to move up to one of the open-air aboveground rooms. The low light hits the figure just right … it's Layth; he's walking around carrying what appears to be about a five foot pole resting on his shoulder and is apparently gathering several buckets. Whatever he's up to, though, isn't quite clear.

Tasha rolls over in bed so that she's lying on her stomach and watching Layth. Last night proved to be unsurprising short; with a departure scheduled for today Tasha couldn't manage an all-night romp through the pleasure district. Nevermind that she had Aaron along, a man who doesn't quite share her libertine attitude.

Layth seems unaware of currently being watched. He finally seems to get enough buckets and heads over to one of the fountains and fills each of them. Given the size of each bucket, the weight would be substantial. He slips the pole under the handles of four, two on each side, then crouches down. With a barely audible grunt, the Lapi lifts the contraption up, the pole bending dangerously, and sets it upon his shoulders.

Growing tired of fighting sleep, and used to waking up early anyway, Tasha pushes herself to a kneeling position. Still dressed, she doesn't have to do more than find her scattered equipment. As she looks for it she watches the Lapi man, curious.

The buck gets back to his feet slowly, then crouches back down. He continues this activity for several repetitions. The pole creaks and bends ominously under the weight, but doesn't crack. After doing this for several minutes, he then remains standing. His hands shift a bit so that he holds the pole with his palms up. He then lifts the heavy load slowly, raising it up and over his head and then back down to his shoulders.

Not unaccustomed to men working out – or men working out just where she can see them – Tasha is quick to recognize the exercise. Judging the weight to be considerable for a Lapi to lift, the woman becomes more interested. Once she has her whip on her belt, and her belt on her body, she stands up and leaps the window wall to glide into the courtyard.

After many repetitions of lifting the waterweights, Layth relaxes the pole back on his shoulders. And then starts taking long, crouching steps. A usually rather painful thing to do if you're carrying a heavy load. The buck's brow is furrowed in concentration, obviously feeling the strain throughout his leg muscles.

Tasha saunters up, feeling rather rare after a night of posing for "exotic" pictures. "Oi, tha' looks a bi' 'eavy for a bun'," she remarks, teasingly.

The voice alerts Layth. Quickly, the Lapi jerks the pole up a bit, then lets go so he can reverse his grip. He rocks from side to side, letting the buckets slide off the pole which land on the ground and spill water everywhere. The pole twirls lightly in his hands and the Lapi crouches low in a defensive posture, eyes locking on Tasha. Recognition hits him a moment later and the buck relaxes and returns to just standing. He leans on the pole much like a walking stick. "Ah, Lady Tasha. A thousand apologies if I woke you," he says, then bows slightly.

Tasha seems amused by Layth's wary response. Her smirking, perked ear expression seems to tease him all the more. "Think I'm 'ere to rob, is it? Mi' grab me a few bunnies, I migh'." She winks, then points at Layth's staff. "You're awful bi' for a Lapi. Wit' you an' Calli, I thinkin' s'all Anchor over Star."

"I've spent many long nights on the roads, traveling through dangerous lands. The Gods of wisdom blessed me to be wary and ready if need be," Layth replies, then follows the pointing to his staff. "Ah, I am fairly well sized, I suppose," he agrees then gives Tasha an odd look. "Please forgive me, but, I do not understand what you mean by Anchor over Star."

"I' means topsy-turvy, i' does. S'wha' we say ba' in Rephidim," explains Tasha. The woman looks Layth over more thoroughly now, then nods to herself. "On ship, we jus' carry this an' carry tha', an' i's enough. 'Course, some beef jus' li' to show off."

Layth chuckles and shakes his head, then has to brush his ears from his face. "I feel no need to show off; I know what I can do and that is enough. I work out every morning before people wake. It keeps me in decent shape and capable of helping my master. Of course, when I had a master," the buck notes, then shrugs.

"A slave, is i'? 'Avn't me' a slave since the 'Astromancer le' 'em go – no' in Rephidim anyway. No' legally, tha' is," Tasha says. "Course soun's li' your free now, so cheers to tha'. Traveler too, I know 'ow tha' is."

"Well, free until I cross into Amazonia again," Layth notes, then shrugs. "Slaves still exist in the world, Lady Tasha. Here especially. You can see some of them of them just off Dream Street, near the Harem Club. There's a training arena underground where slaves who are expected to be bodyguards are trained. Lots of fighting and gambling in that place, alas. I've worked in both the Harem club and the arena. I preferred the Harem club. I was good at fighting, but … I never enjoyed it."

"Oi, I know tha'. I jus' said I see 'em. Jus' no' so much in Rephidim, no' since the Astromancer le' 'em go. Qui' a few in the Unnersi' market' though, if you know here to look." Her smirk quirks into a grin. "Been to the 'Arem Club, I 'ave. Go' boun' up by some wily Kavi." She rubs her neck briefly as she looks around. "I li' to figh', shows people wha's wha, 'specially when they won' see i'."

"Haven't been to the Harem Club for a year or so now, myself," Layth admits, "It's not like I can afford to go. I only went there if I was working. Bound by a Kavi, were you? Place sounds the same, then." He rolls the staff lightly in his hands, looking at it. "I fight if necessary, but I do not generally seek it out. I … well … it's usually easy for me to seriously hurt someone. If you're wanting to fight and get money, though, the arena is the place to go around here … well, outside of mugging people. And I am certain a lady such as yourself would never do anything so illegal."

Tasha nods that she wouldn't, though perhaps a bit slowly. "Fightin's a way to show you're stron', i' is. Ge' respec'. Never tried fightin' for money, no' tha' we don' do tha' in Rephidim. Always wan'ed to try i'," she says.

"Then perhaps you should visit the arena before you leave. I could certainly show you the way, if you wish," Layth suggests and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. "As for respect … well, I was a slave. Respect is … mostly nonexistent in many places."

Tasha nods to that, too, without any hesitation. "Show 'em tha' liftin' of yours, an' you'll 'ave respect. Show 'em the dir' if they trea' you li' i', an' you'll 'ave more," the woman insists. She takes another look around, spots no one, then rolls her head back and asks, "'Ow soon can we go?"

Layth looks honestly lost at the comment of showing any sort of strength to get respect. "Ah, perhaps," he says, sidestepping the issue. He glances skyward for a moment, then says, "Oh, they open early. Lots of slaves practice before their masters awaken. We could leave any time. But, we should inform the house staff where we went. I do not wish to worry Lady Aisha or Lady Circerae. She has enough on her mind."

"Good call, L- … " Tasha peers at the man as she seems to try and recall his name. "-aaaa, Layeth. We can fin' a 'ouse keeper or some-such."

"Hopefully," Layth notes, then collects the various buckets to return them to their proper places. "Let us see if anyone is awake yet… "

"ANYONE AWAKE 'ROUN' 'ERE," Tasha calls out loudly, not quite yelling.

Layth flinches from where he's putting away the buckets, then rubs his face in exasperation. "She needs to work at the Harem club and learn some manners," the Lapi mutters to himself.

"You needn't shout," comes a soft voice from the garden. It looks like one of the coneys has early-morning pest control duty.

"Ah," Layth says and heads into the garden, which he was near anyway since he was returning buckets. He finds the coney and kneels down, asking, "What is your name, little one?"

"I would'n' foun' you if I 'ad'nt shouted," Tasha insists, sounding as if her assertion was quite reasonable.

"Bug!" the coney replies, grinning widely and holding up a bucket full of… bugs.

"Ah, well, 'Bug' could you tell your family and Lady Aisha as well as Lady Circerae and Master Aaron Lightfoot that we have gone down to near Dream Street, to the Gloved Fist Arena; that Lady Tasha wished to see it?" Layth asks the child.

The coney nods. "Tell uncle and his does that you're taking the red scary lady to the naughty place," he says. "Gotcha!"

"Ah, er, right," Layth says, "Make sure you tell them the name."

"Oi, I'm no' scary," Tasha insists with a hint of a growl.

"Umm, Lovely Fisteria?" 'Bug' asks.

"I don' thin' I'm scary," says Tasha, looking down at herself. "Naw, no' even."

Layth corrects the child, "Gloved Fist Arena." He smiles, then stands. "Time to go, Lady Tasha," he says.

Bug runs off towards the main buildings, leaving Layth and Tasha alone together.

"I'm still no' likin' the scary bi, I'm no'," the woman complains. Still, she shrugs and waves the man to take the lead. "Walkin' I take i'."

"Kids are cute," Layth notes, then motions towards the exit from the estate. "Yes, walking. I don't have wings, Lady Tasha. We should try to be back before noon," the buck says.

"Vermites, they are. Don' trust 'em. 'Ah a kid try an' steal me money, once, 'e did. 'Anded 'im to me mum, an' I thin' she made 'im wash the 'ole tavern floor – after vomi' nigh'," Tasha replies. She falls in to walk beside Layth, eyeing this and that.

"You were a child once, Lady Tasha. Well, unless you really are a summoned demon," Layth says in a deadpan manner. He may be joking, or he may not…

"An' I was a terror, I was! Nearly crashed me ship. Ol' cap'n Eyeshine almos' threw me overboar', ha," Tasha explains, laughing.

The walk to Dream Street is very different during the early morning. The streets and alleys are still crowded, but the nature of the crowd is different. Dream Street itself is fairly quiet, perhaps due to the late-night nature of many of the businesses and the need for the people to sleep eventually. The Xocholatl cafe is open, serving breakfast for the early risers, and a few of the clothing stores are opening up as well. Even the art gallery is open, with Gastone the poodle sitting on a stool outside and smoking a pipe, looking like he hasn't slept all night.

As she walks along, Tasha waves to the artistic poodle. "Oi, tha's the guy who's shop we wen' to," the woman tells Layth. "E's no' ba' at all, bu' then again 'e is a Gallee, an' you know abou' tha' sor'."

"All too well, Lady Tasha," Layth notes and gives a small nod to the poodle. His brow furrows and he says, "Now, if I remember right, we have to head one block past the Harem and into the alley. The entrance was there."

"I'll have your painting ready by noon," Gastone promises as they pass. "I'm just waiting to get some ground glass for it."

"I probably don't want to know," Layth mutters to himself after they pass Gastone.

Tasha nods to the poodle, then tells him, "Tha'd be grea', sen' i' on to the Lightfoot estate, or else the Rake unner my name."

The 'alley' is a bit wider than usual, and probably sees plenty of traffic. At the end is a set of double doors that would normally open onto a courtyard, but the overhang of a tiled roof above it indicates otherwise.

"Ah, nice to see it hasn't changed much," Layth notes and waves a hand towards the doors. "Now, please do not start any fights outside the arena. That can lead to … problems, Lady Tasha. I would advise that you watch a fight or two first as well, to see just what goes on… "

"Oi, I don' jus' go abou' startin' fights li' tha'," insists Tasha, trying to sound sincere. After pausing to look up at the doors she shrugs, then pushes them open with both hands. "I 'ope the beef is tall, been aroun' too many li' people lately."

The overpowering scent of sweat is the first thing to hit Tasha's nose. Then it's the roar of the crowd and in the distance and the glow of torches. There is a short corridor mingling with people. A large Khatta near the front seems to be the one in charge, as he's apparently negotiating order of combat practice in the arena ahead. The men standing around talking to him should not disappoint Tasha; they're practically all tigers and none are shorter than six feet tall; and some seem almost as broad. The Khatta in command waves his hands to silence the group around him and turns to address Tasha and Layth. "Greetings and welcome to the Gloved Fist. The Gods have blessed you with the fortunes of finding the absolute best in training and … Golden-Mane!" the Khatta says and then runs over and hugs Layth. Layth for the most part just blinks, then says lamely, "Ah, I guess they remember me."

"Oi, I be' they do. I'm goin' remember them," Tasha remarks as she tilts to the side and peers past the commander at the tigers. "I 'ah wunnered where all the big ones were."

"Is this your new owner, Golden-Mane?" the Khatta asks Layth. Layth shakes his head and says, "Pardon, sir, but as you know, my name is Layth. And no, this is not my new owner. This is Lady Tasha. She wished to see the place." Layth then taps Tasha's shoulder and says, "Lady Tasha, meet Kiram Al-Zakari, the owner of this place."

Tasha trusts out her hand. "Nice t' meet'cha," she greets the man, sounding about as pleasant as she ever does.

Kiram shakes the offered hand with both of his. "Ah, it is always a pleasure to meet a demon from the abyss!" he declares, "Especially the kind which … " He's cut off when Layth coughs politely.

Tasha gives the man a neutral stare before shrugging and grinning widely. "Oi, righ', from the abyss," she agrees. "Is nice to see some men wi' muscle on their bones, it is."

"Ah, but muscles aren't everything in here!" Kiram notes, grinning widely and still shaking Tasha's hand. "Golden-Mane here could … " Layth coughs again, then says, "What the honorable sir is trying to say, Lady Tasha, is that I made him money. People would bet against me … and I could handle myself decently enough that it turned out profitable for him." Kiram finally lets go of Tasha's hand and puts his hand to his chest, "You wound me, Golden-Mane. You were a natural!" Layth just shakes his head, then says, "In times past, perhaps. But, I don't arena fight anymore. You know I did that for training to protect my old master, Zafir."

The woman watches the two argue, then shakes her head and puts her hand to her hip. "'E's all modesty, 'e is. Terribly sorry this an' no' mu' of a fighter tha'. 'E needs to work up a spine," she says, waving her free hand at Layth. "Else e'll be bowin' and scrapin' 'till the en' o' 'is days!"

"The world could use more politeness, Lady Tasha. There would be less wars that way," Layth notes.

"Wars are good for business," the lady counters, probably not helping to dispell her demonic image much.

One of the large tigers comes over and puts his arm around her shoulders. "Well, hello there," he purrs in her ear, "Look what the cat would like to drag in… "

Layth rolls his eyes at that line, then turns to Kiram, leaving Tasha to deal with the tiger. "Lady Tasha would like to see the arena. She may even like to compete in a match, if that is possible … ?" he asks.

Tasha doesn't fight the arm, in fact she doesn't seem to mind it at all. She smiles toothily at the man and pokes his ribs with her free hand. "Oi, loo', a piece o' meat. See 'ere's a man wit' force," she tells Layth as he turns away. To the tiger, she asks, "You figh' 'ere offen?"

"All the time," the tiger purrs, leaning in close, eyes narrowed as he looks at her is an almost predatory way. "Always knew one of my fantasies would walk through the door some day."

Kiram rubs his chin, then says, "Ah, I do not see why not … for you. Now, how about you? Will you grace the arena this lovely morning?"

"No, Master Al-Zakari. A thousand apologies, but I would rather not," Layth says, the bows politely.

"You 'ad better be careful wha' you wish for. You jus' may ge' i' – or i' jus' may ge' you," Tasha teases the man back, smiling toothily. She mirrors his predatory grin, being something of a predator herself. Then, she reaches behind him when she thinks he won't notice and gooses him.

The tiger rumbles moments after he's goosed. Tasha gets greeted by the tiger simply grabbing her butt in response, then him saying, "Good. A demon with fire. I like that; all the better to break… "

Kiram looks a bit forlorn, but then smiles and clasps his hands together. "Ah well, I had to try!" he says, then motions down the hall. The last fight should be finishing now, if you would like to head that way, I'm sure we could fit her in next."

Tasha grins more at the butt grabbing, liking as she does men with their own fire. "'Ow many demons you people 'ave aroun' 'ere," she wonders aloud, then tells the tiger, "Brea' me, is i'? Thin' you can? I've 'ad men twice your size an' thrice your fire, I 'ave!"

The tiger peers around Tasha and looks at Layth. "And yet you travel around with that?" he says, still grinning and purring. "Tsk, I don't believe you. Why don't you show me in the arena, hmmm? Maybe a little wager on it, perhaps? I win, you serve me for a week. You win, I serve you."

Layth glances to Kiram and notes, "I think she may have found her fighting partner." Kiram simply says, "The Gods work in mysterious ways! Now, I'm sure we could find… " Layth cuts him off and says, "No, Master Al-Zakari."

"Oi, an' 'ave … " Tasha considers what Captain Eyeshine would say about this, then decides she'll worry about that if she loses, " … 'ave a deal, we do! I 'ope you 'ave a lo' o' energy."

Kiram beams and starts pushing the group towards the arena. "Okay, the crowds will want the next fight soon, so you two get ready, no? Remember, hand bindings only, no weapons! And oh, remember to wet yourselves down. We can't be having fur acting as extra padding." He then points towards a set of doors to an apparent ready-room. There's only one, so it looks like Tasha will have to change in front of the guys.

"Why do I sense doom coming our way?" Layth wonders to himself. He simply folds his hands behind his back and follows Kiram.

Tasha is rushed through a whirlwind of preparation. She's stripped down to a basic waistcloth and makeshift cloth bra. Her fur has been slicked down by water, making her that much more curvy, much to the delight of the cheering crowd that now surrounds her. She's standing in the center of a sunken stone-floor arena. The walls are made from weathered wooden poles, with the crowd up above them, cheering and waving papers indicating their bets.

To enthusiate the crowd more, Tasha spreads her wings to make herself more obvious and holds her hands to the sky. "Oi, I'm goin' to bea' tha' man senseless, no' tha' 'e 'as any pickin' a figh' wit' me," she roars in her deep voice.

The crowd roars in response and betting amounts are shouted in the din. Layth glances to Kiram and asks, "How good is he?" Kiram shrugs slightly and notes, "Oh, he's decent enough, Golden-Mane. Mostly brawn, and little finesse, though! Should prove an interesting match, to be certain."

The roar grows even louder now when the tiger walks in wearing just a loincloth and raises his cloth-wrapped hands, letting out a thundering roar. "Hope you will have fun at my feet, fantasy o' mine," the tiger then purrs at Tasha. "I promise I won't hurt anything I'll need later… "

"Haw! I 'ope so, wouln' wan' you fallin' on your brain," Tasha retorts. The woman points squarely between the tiger's legs, noting the clean floor. So much for dirty fighting – at least in that manner. She pulls her wings in and back, then lifts her fists. In reality it isn't her fists that hurt as much as her feet, those hooves hurt more than most feet. She stalks forward, waiting for him to make the first move.

"And so it begins!" declares Kiram and hits a gong sitting near him. The sound reverberates throughout the room. Layth, for the most part, just looks uncomfortable.

The tiger curls his fingers into fists, the joints popping audibly. His lips pull back into a feral snarl and he lunges, feinting a strike to her head with his left hand while the real strike comes in towards Tasha's gut with his right!

The tiger moves in hard and fast, his hand hitting her stomach while she's in mid-stride and before she can react adequately. At least since she was in mid stride, she was on one hoof and so she ends up spinning around on that hoof. Unfortunately, the blow also knocks her partially out of breath. The tiger can hit hard, apparently.

Well, at least Tasha knows he's as muscular as he looks. Pretenders always disappoint her in the end. The woman coughs, dancing back to catch her breath and avoid further pummeling. Given the tiger's obvious strength, Tasha figures she can't match him muscle for muscle. But, maybe she can use his strength against him through finesse. Feigning, though just barely, having taken more of a blow than she did, Tasha waits for him to press the attack – then she'll strike.

The tiger doesn't attack immediately. He raises his fists as if already victorious and the crowd roars to life once more. Satisfied, he turns around and smiles to Tasha sauntering towards her and purring, "You can submit anytime."

"You can submit to my 'oof, kitty, kitty," Tasha replies. Thinking she might want to shrug off her illusion of injury, she decides against it for now. If he think he's hurt her more than he has, all the better for her. She does, however, decide she needs to hit him. Now. With a mighty dust-off, she takes to the air just enough to get enough height for a falling kick.

Tasha's takeoff is less than graceful, but it does take the tiger by surprise! He's too busy watching the wings to see the hoof … which lands right on his forehead! The tiger grunts and staggers backward, gripping his forehead. A trickle of blood starts to flow down the side of his muzzle as he blinks repeatedly as if trying to clear his vision. Again, the crowd roars!

Unlike the tiger, Tasha does press her advantage. She comes in swinging with her fists! Though not as solid as her hooves, her callused hands and Jupani-stock knuckles are a respectable force when paired with her Vartan muscle. And, hopefully, a respectable victory when paired with the tiger's head.

The tiger is obviously dazed and not seeing very well. Blow after blow lands from Tasha upon the tiger's head and chest. Meanwhile, his attempts to block and strike back go wild and never connect with anything. Still, it seems to take minutes until a final uppercut connects solidly with the tiger's chin. He staggers back and snarls at her. And then, his eyes simply roll back in his head and he falls forward onto the ground with a resounding thud. Half of the crowd cheers and bits of paper fly into the air! The other half hisses and throws their betting notes on the ground. Tasha can make out snippets of comments from the crowd like: 'Knew betting on one of THOSE was worth it! They're bred to beat men! … Nono, they're bred to seduce men! … for some it's the same thing!"

"Let's hear it for Lady Tasha!" Kiram calls out over the crowds. "She has defeated Shimar!" After a moment of applause, he calls out, adding, "Now, let's hear it for both our combatants!" Of course, at this time Shimar is being drug out by his feet. Boy will he have a headache later.

Tasha holds her wings out and her fists up, soaking up the adoration of the crowd. Or, at least, the adoration of what the crowd thinks she is and how her victory has gained them money. It's the same thing, right?

Of course, being popped in the head by such a large man hurts. Once the adrenaline begins to fade a little Tasha feels a little achy herself, but she's learned to cover it. It's a shame they're dragging him off, otherwise I'd sit on him, the woman thinks.

Kiram comes down into the arena, followed by Layth. Kiram bows to her repeatedly, smiling happily. "A most wonderful display, milady. Most wonderful," he says, then holds out a small purse, adding, "Here is five percent of take surplus for the victory. May it serve you well."

Tasha takes the bag, wobbling only slightly. "Oi, jus' five percen'?" Five percent certainly sounds like too little, though Tasha can't help but feel it'd help even more to know what a percent actually is. She knows her mother tried to explain it to her once – twice. Many times. She was too distracted by men and violence to pay attention – a bit like now. She peers in the bag, frowns, but shrugs before the man can respond. "Alrigh', then."

Kiram slaps her back, then Layth's back. "And we have Golden-Mane, known as Layth, servant to Zafir, to thank for bringing this lovely warrior among us! Let's hear it for him, too!" he shouts out. Some of the crowd cheers, but most of them look at the Lapi and well, start laughing. "You can't be serious, Kiram," calls out another one of the tigers from the stands. "That is Golden-Mane? The one you talked about a lot and whom you tried to buy once? Please! He's a Lapi. Enough with the jokes!"

Tasha leans forward and pats Layth's head when the crowd laughs. The pats are rather heavy, really, as she seems to be using him as a convenient leaning post. "I be' you're somethi'," she whispers to him, grinning. "Jus' listen to 'em! You coul' be a real star, you coul'."

Layth only shrugs slightly and says to Tasha, "What they think of me doesn't matter, Lady Tasha." He then smiles to Kiram and adds, "Thank you for allowing Tasha to fight here. We should be on our way."

Kiram waves his hands, trying to quiet the laughter. "Enough," he calls out, "I know of what I speak, and I speak true!" He then blinks and looks to Layth, asking, "Leaving already? I was hoping you would … " Layth cuts him off again by saying, "A thousand apologies, but no, Master Al-Zakari. It serves no purpose."

Tasha gives the crowd one last, not to mention big, wave before blowing them a sloppy kiss. That done, she tells Kiram, "Tell 'im to meet me at the Rake, 'fore we take off. I wan' my pe' tiger ready 'fore we sail," loudly enough so the crowd can hear it.

The tiger that spoke earlier jumps down into the area and approaches the group. "Aww, is the little Lapi leaving us, then?" he sneers towards Kiram, Layth, and Tasha. He's not as muscular as the previous one, but he does look more agile. Layth pays him absolutely no attention and starts heading towards the exit. Well, until the tiger says, "Hah, no wonder the trader Zafir never became rich or famous. If you're all he could ever afford … Hah, a worthless Lapi guard for a worthless Khatta!" The crowd erupts in laughter again and this time, Layth reacts. He stops near the exit, his breathing slow and controlled.

"You wan' I shoul' pop 'im one? I coul' do i', I coul'," a somewhat wobbly Tasha insists.

"Master Al-Zakari," Layth says, voice quiet and calm, "You have your wish. There will be another match and I will compete."

In a quieter voice, Tasha asks Layth, "Are goin' to, you know, keep 'im? I mean I ain't go' nothin' agains' tha', I like women meself, bu' … "

The tiger merely smirks and comments, "The day a Lapi could beat me is the day I dress like a woman, hah!." He then marches right past them and into the prep area.

Layth turns and looks directly at Tasha. "Lady Tasha," he says slowly … his eyes actually rippling with controlled anger. "No more jokes, please. This is a matter of honor. There isn't a more noble man than Master Zafir. They can call me what they like, but they will not defame him." The Lapi then turns and heads into the prep area as well.

Tasha gives Layth a 'what'd I say' sort of look, running a hand through her hair as the man turns and walks off. Evidently, matters of honor are lost on the woman. "Does tha' mean you don' wan' 'im then," she wonders aloud.

Time passes as the arena is swept out again and made ready. The first to enter is the tiger. Much like Shimar, this one raises his hands and roars. He's not as muscular as Shimar, to be sure, now that his fur as been wetted down, but his movements betray decent grace. The crowd cheers and whistles him.

Layth enters a moment later, now wearing only a loincloth and hand-wraps, and a loose cloth tying his ears together to keep them out of the way. With his fur wetted down, Tasha can definitely tell he's nearly all muscle and each movement causes a ripple of tension to flow through his body. No hand raising from the buck, no bravado. The crowd isn't quite sure what to think, really. A couple cheer, some snicker, but most stare. And the betting begins! From where Tasha now sits in the stands near Kiram, she can tell it's mostly against Layth.

Tasha has taken a seat with some of her fans, many of which are now giving her something to lean on. "Knock 'is block off," she roars, though to whom is not exactly clear.

Layth steps his right foot back, angling his side towards the tiger. He nods slightly to him and says, "May the Gods grant you the wisdom to understand honor." The tiger snorts and smirks, bringing his fists up and retorts, "May the Gods grant you a serious butt-kicking, Lapi." The gong rings loud … the tiger spits on the floor, then advances rapidly on Layth, swinging fast and furious! Layth simply holds his ground, letting the tiger approach and prepares to block.

It appears almost effortless for the Lapi. The blows come in and the buck merely blocks each hit, one after the other, using his forearms to deflect them away as he steps and moves to take himself out of direct line. The last two thrown by the tiger Layth simply dodges without blocking. The crowd doesn't cheer. They're watching with interest.

"'E's no' ba', for a male Lapi," the Vartan woman remarks to one of her fans. "An' ey', si' up, I'm fallin' over 'ere."

The buck steps back away from the tiger and resumes his defensive posture. He does not attack. This elicits a few hisses from the crowd. The tiger sneers, commenting, "So, you can block. Come on, attack! Try and make this at least moderately interesting." And without actually waiting for Layth to attack, the tiger moves in again, wailing away.

The Lapi resumes blocking, but this time the tiger knows what to expect and feints past one of the blocks, then lands several blows to Layth's stomach and head. The buck grunts and jumps backward to clear distance and shakes his head, then rolls his jaw slightly. "I am rusty," the Lapi mutters to himself.

Tasha sits up a bit when Layth takes a beating, wondering if it looked that painful when she was hit. Seeing he's still standing after it, though, the woman resumes reclining.

The noise of the crowd starts to rise now. Betting increases and Tasha can once again tell it's against Layth. Finally, Layth makes a move, darting in with surprising speed towards the tiger.

Layth seemingly goes by the tiger, slamming a fist into the tiger's gut, causing the tiger to grunt and lean forward slightly. Then without missing a beat, the Lapi pivots on his foot, spinning and catching the tiger square in the face with a back-handed fist, then spins again and catches the back of the tiger's head with another back-handed fist as the tiger rocks backward from the first facial blow. The tiger shakes his head and starts to step backward to recover distance and gather his defenses. Layth's eyes narrow.

Not giving the tiger much time to recover, the Lapi crouches, then vaults himself up and backward into a backflip. One of his feet squarely lands under the tiger's chin, sending the tiger both up and backward, then down onto his butt on the hard stone floor. Layth catches his fall on his hands, then pushes, flipping himself back to his feet. He pushes his tied ears back and out of the way.

Around Tasha, the crowd seems to collectively blink. A few jaws hang open, even.

Tasha reaches both her hands out and pushes two jaws back up. "Oi, tha's some righ' fine Lapi fightin'. I'm beginnin' to thin' tha' Lapi are'n' so small as they seem, they ain'," she remarks, then lets the jaws drop again so she can clap a bit. "Tha's showin' 'im, Layth! I tol' you' you coul' fin' respec' wit' a fis', an' I was'n' wrong!"

The tiger growls, not liking to have just been shown up by a rabbit! Snarling, he pushes to his feet and swings hard and wild at Layth! Calmly, Layth brings his hands up and catches one fist, then the other one. The tiger stops flat as the buck's arm and upper torso muscles ripple and tense. The Lapi's calm eyes lock with the tiger's and the two stand there deadlocked.

All of a sudden, Layth's expression changes as if surprised by something. The tiger grins evilly and suddenly yanks his hands away, the strikes hard with a one-two punch to Layth's jaw. The Lapi stumbles backward, stunned and shaking his head. He blinks repeatedly.

The tiger raises his hands and roars! He charges in and starts pounding on Layth. The Lapi staggers, unable to strike back as he's recovering from the last hits. His arms just come up in a defensive position and fend off the hits as best he can.

The crowd around the arena watch quietly now with baited breath. A few of the other tigers, though, start chanting, "Kill the rabbit, kill the rabbit!"

The Vartan woman's nose twitches, then she suddenly leans forward. This time, though, she doesn't relax after a moment. Her ears perk and she braces herself with her hands on the rim of the pit. "Oi, don' take tha', ain't never goin' to ge' respec' tha' way," she yells at Layth.

The pounding continues, but at last Layth seems to clear his head and is able to double and regain some distance. "Giving up?" the tiger sneers, obviously pleased with himself. Both fighters are starting to get wobbly, though.

"No," Layth says and the tiger launches in on him again. Layth is mainly on the defensive now blocking blows, but unable to make any of his own.

The buck drops low, then fires forward. He blocks a punch thrown by the tiger, striking into that arm's muscle hard, sending the tiger jerking backwards and sideways. The Lapi then knees the tiger hard in the back and wraps an arm around his neck … bending him back and putting him into a headlock. The Lapi keeps the tiger off-balance, literally trying to choke the fight out of him. The tiger jerks and grabs at Layth's arms and this time small lines of blood appear along them. The tiger is using his claws. But, Layth has him off balance and holds long enough that the tiger finally shudders and goes limp as he loses consciousness. The Lapi then lets go and the tiger slumps to the ground.

Tasha drops herself back against whatever men catch her. "Rrr, almos' though' bunny-boy was goin' to eat dir' there, I did. Gla' 'e pulled through, don' thin' Calli would 'ave liked me draggin' you 'ome, Layth," Tasha says, though he can only hear her because of his Lapi ears.

The crowd seems dumbfounded by the victory. And then there is a rather large collective cursing by all the people who bet against him. Kiram just beams, though. He nudges Tasha and says, "See? He was always good at bringing in the bets! He needs practice, though. He used to be much better."

Layth doesn't wave or cheer to the crowd, or even wait for Kiram to come down and congratulate him. He simply walks out through the doorway and into the prep room to clean up.

The hybrid woman grins at Kiram. "Oi, he ain' ba' at all. I guess I misjudged 'im, jus' li' I di' this looker Calli. 'E's no Vartan, tha's for sure, bu' he ain' ba' at all." Having said that, Tasha pushes herself up and pats, pushes, and pinches various men as she walks out of the stands and down to the cleanup room.

Layth is already dressed by that time and brushing out his fur. "Master Al-Zakari, you should make sure that your combatants know claws are considered weapons and should not be used in the arena," the Lapi notes and holds up his hand. Four obvious clawmarks are on it. "Though, I should have expected it. He caught me by surprise."

Tasha makes a point of checking out the various dressing men before she gets around to sauntering over to Layth. She sniffs, then nods as if having confirmed something. "I though' I smelled blood. Wasn' sure i' was yours, 'course no' anyone else 'ere with Lapi blood runnin' through their veins. Good show, takin' tha' dirty trick. I'd 'ave bit 'em," she tells the Lapi, sounding rather upbeat about the whole affair.

"You could have called the fight because of that, Golden-Mane," Kiram says as he looks at the wounds. "It would not have helped Zafir's honor, I could not. To the others I would have appeared 'weak', as Lady Tasha likes to say," the buck notes.

"An' he showed 'em, did'n' 'e," the woman agrees.

"Ah, yes, well," Kiram says and starts to offer a pouch to Layth. "Here is the five per… " And once again, Layth cuts him off by saying, "Master Al-Zakari, please. Send it to Zafir. I do not wish to be paid for … that."

Tasha's ears skew, adding to her puzzled expression. "I don' unnerstan' you, Layth. What's yours is yours, an' you won i', no' quite fair an' square," she insists.

"I … it's hard to explain, Lady Tasha. I feel wrong taking it for myself," Layth notes and finishes cleaning off the scratches he received. "Let's get back before the others get worried and come looking. I don't want Aisha in this place."

"I guess so," Tasha remarks in reply to Layth's comment about it being complicated. "I 's'pose I don' li' complicated. Thin' is, I 'ave money, an' I 'ave some guy, an' wha' do you get?" She offers Layth her hand to help him on, then her shoulder. "Don' get any funny ideas, you're no' the firs' man I 'elped out after a figh'."

"As you wish," Kiram says and bows to Layth. "He's living with his brother now," Layth adds, then provides Kiram with the address. To Tasha, Layth shakes his head and lightly brushes away her hand. "What I got was help for a man who saved my life and showed me kindness I never knew in childhood. The lives I touch matter more to me than myself," Layth remarks quietly with a smile, then slips out the door. He's a bit unsteady on his feet, but doesn't appear to be in immediate danger of tipping over.

Tasha simply shrugs before following, tail high. "Touchin' lives? I don' know abou' tha', Layth – well 'cept you know." She winks. "Speakin' of touchin' lives, we ough to hurry. I don' qui' remember when Calli wanned to lift off. 'Course, it'll go faster wit' another 'and."